Story:At Fate's End/Lore
The World Calendar Although the world of Orphanage is only marginally smaller than our own Earth and follows an orbit of much the same shape, it is much further from its universe's sun than Earth is. As a result, a year in Orphanage (defined objectively as the amount of time it takes to make one complete orbit around the sun) would take exactly 700 days. However, the days between the two planets (which do not coexist, at least in the same solar system) are vastly different; while an Earth day lasts 24 hours, an Orphanage day lasts for only 20. Therefore, accounting for this difference in time, there are approximately 2.3 Orphanage days for one Earth day. Thanks to this distance from its sun, average temperature on Orphanage is noticeably colder than Earth's in some places, but also has its spots of high heat. There are extremes, but most of the planet is still suitable for human life. On average, a day on Orphanage is about 10-20 degrees colder than a day would be on Earth. As a heavenly body, Orphanage is fairly odd; it has one very thin ring made of celestial debris and ice from its atmosphere. The ring is incredibly thin, and is only visible from the surface of the planet during certain hours of the day when the moons and/or sun strike its surface just right. Speaking of moons, Orphanage has two, which both orbit the planet almost cleanly opposite each other. (The distance between them isn't exactly the diameter of the planet, nor do they have completely spherical orbits; in other words, if seen during the same night, they will appear on opposite sides of the sky... but not exactly north-south opposite.) The two moons are named Nesib and Netice. Solar eclipses from the two getting in front of the sun are fairly frequent, although lunar eclipses are much more rare and are treated as religious holidays. Orphanage has an axial tilt of about 27 degrees, not too far off from our own Saturn, and thus has seasons, as the tilt of the axis provides a stretch of time when one part of the planet is closer to the sun than the other. There are 14 months in the Orphanage calendar, divided almost cleanly between the 6 months that the two moons are both visible in the sky, the 6 months in which one of the moons are visible at a time (3 for each moon), and the 2 months in which no moon is ever visible in the sky. In addition, the constellations of the surrounding night sky have a particular significance to the planet's culture. In each month there are 50 days. The months, in order from Nesibmoon -> Duomoon -> Neticemoon -> Nomoon -> Repeat are as follows. *Nesibayin *Frostayin *Tokayin *Rotayin *Kinetayin *Banishmayin *Silvrayin *Vrain *Kuulrayin *Towayin *Jtrivayin *Neticeayin *Voidayin *Nihilayin Holidays *Almagest — 14th day of Rotayin. From the ancient "Guest Apple", Almagest is a widely celebrated holiday centered around the legend of a pauper who would wander the wilderness, selling apples as she traveled. The story goes that villages who treated her kindly were rewarded with bountiful harvests, while those that shunned her suffered from prolonged winters and failed crops. The colors of Almagest are red, yellow, and green, befitting the hues of the fruit for which it is named. Families often make fruit baskets for their neighbors, especially those who have fallen on hard times. *Dombira — 9th day of Silvrayin. Another universal holiday, intended to honor unity and celebrate the short-lived warmth of the summer. Representatives from each country gather for a continental musical festival, and patriotic banners fly from the highest points in each city. The importance of this holiday has swelled in recent times, due to the Astross threat that threatens all peoples. *Heavensward — 37th day of Jtrivayin. Originating in Haven, this holiday commemorates the launch of the first Haven floating city. Children build paper lanterns and release them into the sky, and fireworks are a common attraction. Heavensward is now celebrated extensively in Sapphire after the acquisition of the floating city of Cobalt from Haven; the concurrent celebrations can be a source of rivalry and tension between the two countries. *Tyhtokcoh — 1st day of Voidayin. An esoteric holiday celebrated mostly by the people of Dune, Tyhtokcoh is also known as "The Night of Ninety Lights". Honored during the night, when Netice sinks below the horizon to leave the sky moonless for two months, Tyhtokcoh symbolizes the destruction of the ancient Dune civilization, and the dark ages that followed. The alternate name is meant to remember the ninety warriors of Dune whose lives were extinguished during its fall. Tyhtokcoh begins a period of fasting and sacrifice; this element of the holiday has been incorporated into the customs of neighboring areas in order to encourage austerity during the harsh winter. Constellations The constellations most visible during each month are as follows: *Nesibayin — Bustan, the Amaranth *Frostayin — Khianat, the Eyes *Tokayin — Kinamak, the Torch *Rotayin — Ifk, the Wolf *Kinetayin — Davar, the Gavel *Banishmayin — Tac, the Crown *Silvrayin — Salib, the Cross *Vrain — Sa'ada, the Turtle *Kuulrayin — Kadin, the Maiden *Towayin — Mismar, the Lance *Jtrivayin — Peyman, the Swan *Neticeayin — Sevgili, the Dove *Voidayin — Mahvan, the Scythe *Nihilayin — T'aghel, the Tomb The constellations were originally named by the ancient peoples of Dune, the first of Orphanage to chart the skies. In categorizing clusters of stars together based on their prominence alongside the moons, they weaved a tale of two brothers, betrayal, and redemption. The intricacies of the stellar myth were mostly lost as Dune's great civilizations crumbled into dust and were replaced by smaller, weaker nations. However, Dune's fall from grace did not mean the eradication of its astronomical teachings to the other nations. Their nomenclature and work are revered and followed to this day, from the highest peaks of Sapphire to the observatories of the floating cities of Haven. Races *Humans — Prosperous race native to the continent of Orphanage (which is also the planet's name by extension), humans have fought against the harshness of their environment over thousands of years to forge the five countries that now control most of the continent's landmass. *Vanir — Near-extinct race native to the northern continent of Vanahein, the Vanir were once a seafaring race infamous for raiding the ships and pillaging the coastal towns of neutral and rival countries. The Vanir possessed pointed ears and a natural lifespan that kept them at their prime for decades longer than humans. Archery is a combat style that was invented by the Vanir. Although most settlements in Vanahein were independent, three organizations, Clan Castor, Clan Nora, and Clan Glen, competed with one another for local membership and national power through local mercenary work and annual gladiator tournaments. *Astross — A common term used to refer to the monstrous wildlife that inhabits Orphanage. There is no definite consensus on which fauna are Astross and which are mere animals, with definitions and opinions changing country from country, person to person. *Elknin — An esoteric term used to refer to hypothetical Astross that possess sapience that occasionally appears in ancient texts and legends. *Nexus — An esoteric term of debated meaning that occasionally appears in ancient texts and legends. Religions *Church of the Northern Maiden — The most widespread faith on Orphanage, they worship the Maiden of the North, a selfless Vanir healer who brokered the peace between humans and Vanir thousands of years ago, as a Saint. Most settlements have at least some manner of place dedicated to worshiping the Maiden, and the church's priests and priestess and usually groomed from a young age and tutored in healing magic and spells that create or manipulate water. The local duties of priests and priestess include aiding the guard as they hunt or repel the Astross, caring for the weak and poor, performing funeral rites, and the handling of civil legal cases. *Ascendants of the Phoenix — The official faith of Haven. They celebrate an Elknin firebird who sacrificed itself so that its magic could ascend their cities into the sky to escape the horrors below. The current ruler of Haven announced himself to be a reincarnation of the Phoenix in order to strengthen his claim to the throne, due to originally being a pretender who took control of Haven through force. *Anchorites of the Hollowman — Informally known as Shadow Cults, the worship of the faceless whisperer is outlawed in all five countries, forcing those who believe the myths surrounding the Hollow to be more than just stories intended to scare children to exile themselves to the maze-like caverns and tunnels underneath Orphanage, where they make sacrifices to the Hollowman in exchange for power. The two largest tribes are the Salem Witches and the Marrow Warlocks. In pursuit of becoming an Elknin, Witches learn to take on the forms of Astross and other beasts by wearing their pelts, whereas Warlocks learn to manipulate and integrate Astross bones into their own bodies. If a Shadow Witch is caught in the form of an animal, it is a widespread tradition across Orphanage to cut off a limb and keep it as a trophy. *Cult of the Lord of Bloody Eyes — Informally known as the Blood Cult, they are a sect of the Anchorites of the Hollowman who worship the Nameless Man as a more direct agent of the Hollowman. The inner circle consists of the Nameless Children, who are considered a separate group that were handpicked by the Nameless Man himself, and the Eyelords, the priests of the Blood Cult who act as living conduits for the Nameless Man's blood magic. Artifacts *Warmonger's Pike — A cursed weapon. Countless petty warlords once waged endless battles over barren territory, until a peasant pikeman lead his fellow peasants in a rebellion that crushed all those that stood against them. With every victory his army and territory grew until it was recognized as a country. Now known as King Thresher, the pikeman's followers were content with the end of the turmoil and ready to begin rebuilding, only to be horrified when the king started preparing for a military campaign against the neighboring countries, so while the king slept his closest and most trusted advisers murdered him, and then each-other, with his own blood-stained pike. *World Chain — A cursed weapon. Once a chain used by Vanir pirates to restrict their prisoners, one captive once used his chain to strangle an influential captain to death while the ship was docking before escaping into the city. He spent several years fleeing his pursuers across land and sea, until after a full rotation of the planet he was finally brought back to that same coastal city and executed for his crime, but not before throwing the murder weapon into the sea in one last act of defiance. *Goldbrand — A cursed weapon. A greedy judge from an ancient kingdom condemned the poor and redeemed the rich and powerful in exchange for outrageous bribes. Once his corruption was exposed, rioters burned down his courthouse with the judge trapped inside. Upon touching his vast wealth, the heat became golden flames that preserved the ruined building and immolated the judge. *Sanguine Viper — A cursed weapon. *Diamond Mirrors — Two large mirrors made from the diamonds that the Maiden of the North gifted to Orphanage while negotiating peace between them and the Vanir. *Arc of Desire — A silver metallic trinket in the shape of a heart. *Wheel of Fate — A sundial that the people of ancient Dune used for their astronomical studies. *Lawmaker's Coin — The ancient currency of a fallen kingdom that was located roughly where Cobalt now is. *Moira Clepsammia — An hourglass that never runs out of sand. *Hollow Scales — Too light to actually weigh anything. Elknin *Carbuncle — The Child, whose domain is healing magic. A small, green furry Elknin with tiny red jewels located across his body. Carbuncle is said to have been only a small child when he became an Elknin, the result of a wish by his parents, and so he has failed to mentally mature even after his several-millennia long existence. *Quetzalcoatl — The Seen, whose domains are lightning magic and sun magic. A large bronze winged serpent. The younger sister of Fenrir, she once laid claim to an inheritance by reason of virtue and beauty. Swayed by confidantes, the once gentle and humble Quetzalcoatl turned to vanity and greed, and so came to hate her sister. Their struggle ignited a brutal civil war along the Tourmaline Peaks in the country of Sapphire. As her armies clashed with Fenrir's amongst the highest summits, she was cut down by assassins, and in her dying breaths called for the Hollow to slay her sister. *Fenrir — The Unseen, whose domains are wind magic and moon magic. A large black winged wolf. The elder sister of Quezacoatl, she once laid claim to an inheritance by reason of age and wisdom. Swayed by confidantes, the once prudent and patient Fenrir turned to arrogance and jealousy, and so came to hate her sister. Their struggle ignited a brutal civil war along the Tourmaline Peaks in the country of Sapphire. As her armies clashed with Quezacoatl's amongst the highest summits, she was cut down by assassins, and in her dying breaths called for the Hollow to slay her sister. *Jorgand — The Dreamserpent, whose domain is earth magic. A massive serpent a mile long, whose body is covered in several different kinds of dirt, rock and plant-life. Said to have been a young Vanr who fell into a canyon, who after a week of pain and isolation desperately offered his skin to the Hollow in exchange for freedom. Having grown used to its eternal isolation from humanity, it now sleeps and contemplates the nature of its own existence in its dreams. *Lochi — The Betrayer, whose domain is poison magic. He appears as a sphere of constantly-shifting green snakes. An ancient tale claims that he is a Vanr who begged a hollow being for enough power to defeat and slay his brother, a then-popular warrior, but despite his victory he was so heavily wounded from the battle that he was unable to ever fight again, while another telling claims that they both perished in the fight, his severed limbs turning into snakes when they touched the earth. *Phoenix — The Evanescent, whose domains are fire magic and life magic. A medium-sized firebird. The Phoenix is unique among the Elknin; his immortality requires that he be reborn twice every millennium, an act that completely resets his memories and personality back to his basic nature. *Oden — The Slayer, whose domain is death magic. The bones of the dead combine and fashion themselves into his body and armor, and also those of his sex-legged steed. He was a warrior who traveled across all of Vanahein for a foe powerful enough to kill him. When his quest failed, he asked the Hollow to tell him how he would die, and was gifted with immortality instead. *Talos — The Ruined, whose domain is holy magic. His form is that of a large building. *Daedalus — The Tyrant, whose domain is water magic. An Elknin considered a myth even to his own kind, he takes the form of a fearsome dragon. *Azazel — The Malevolent, whose domain is blood magic. Also called the Archangel of Blood and the Lord of Bloody Eyes, few tales exist of the actions of Azazel, and none of the demon's birth, perhaps placing him as the oldest of the Elknin. His kin fear him, for good reason, as he wages a bloody crusade against them and the hollow being that created him.